HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's
Festival of Britain Mural




Thursday 5 September 2013

Rope Walk

As so often happens while looking for one thing I turn up something else. I was checking something on the 1887 map and noticed 'Rope Walk' mentioned on Victoria Street Newton, I recalled also seeing this near Floweyfield, it got me to wondering why. 

 photo rm1.jpg

It seems that a rope-walk was a long straight narrow lane, or a covered pathway, where long strands of material were laid before being twisted into rope. 

 photo rm3.jpg

One inch rope required 72 strands of ‘binder twine’, so for 100ft of 1 inch rope, 7.200ft of twine was needed. That sounds like a lot of twisting and work.

 photo images.jpg

Hand spinning was a skilled job, the spinner had to walk at just the right speed to keep the yarn smooth and make sure it was the correct thickness.

 photo rope3.jpg

 The rope made locally could possibly have been sold to farmers, mine and mill owners, hopefully a bit was left over for granny to have some fun

  photo tumblr_mh70oma9nJ1s3uiz9o1_500.jpg  


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi htat looks like a great map is it available on the internet our can I buy it locally ? would really like a copy
Thanks Alan

Tom said...

Hi Alan
The map,and others can be found here:
http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/tithemaps/TwinMaps.aspx

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info on the map site Tom brilliant that you can compare present day with the past. Would highly recommend the site to anybody as it is so simple ( bit like me)
Thanks again Alan

Chris Dawson said...

Thanks. I'd noticed these 'rope walks' on 1850s maps thought it was some kind of playground thing at first!